The State of Illinois leads the nation in the number of children with elevated[unreadable] blood lead levels over 10ug/dL and the number of children tested for lead poisoning[unreadable] ( MMWR 2003/52(20); SS-10. Specifically there are 1,059,514 children under the age of[unreadable] 6 years old in Illinois (520,550 under the age of 3 years), with 75% of this total residing[unreadable] in communities outside of the City of Chicago. Given the critical impact of the lead[unreadable] burden in the State and the fact the City of Chicago accounts for 25% of these children,[unreadable] the City receives additional CDC funds.[unreadable] While data shows a decline in the number of elevated cased over 10ug/dL[unreadable] ( 1997=9.0%; 2000= 5.0%, 2003= 2.8%), the fact remains that the number of Illinois[unreadable] children with elevated blood lead levels still exceeds the national median average of[unreadable] 1.6% as reflected in the NHANES data ( MMWR 2005/54(20); 513-516). In 2003, the[unreadable] Illinois Department of Public Health in collaboration with CDC identified four cities[unreadable] (East St. Louis, Peoria, Rockford, and Springfield) outside of the city of Chicago and the[unreadable] Chicago metropolitan area as targeted high risk areas for lead poisoning based on age of[unreadable] housing data, poverty level data from each area, and the number of children under the age[unreadable] of 6 with elevated blood lead levels that resided in those cities. In 2004, 107,588 children[unreadable] were tested lead poisoning in Illinois, excluding Chicago. Of this total, 2,313 children[unreadable] (2.1%) had at least one blood lead test result exceeding 10u/dL.[unreadable] The Illinois Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (ILCLPPP) is housed[unreadable] in the Illinois Department of Public Health's (IDPH) Division of Health Assessment and[unreadable] Screening. Local health department (delegate agencies) receives grants for the provision[unreadable] of both case management follow up and educational services to both the families and the[unreadable] lead poisoned children. Provisions for how these services are provided in outlined in the[unreadable] enclosed narrative and the related appendices.[unreadable] Illinois state Statues ( also in appendices) required that all draw and testing[unreadable] laboratories submit the results of all blood lead test to ICLPPP's data unit for the[unreadable] evaluation of surveillance activities and individual test results are provided weekly tot[unreadable] these delegate agencies for their use in tracking and management of these cases.[unreadable] Primary prevention services as provided the IDPH's Office of Health Protection,[unreadable] Division of Environmental Health. While providing home lead hazard inspections across[unreadable] the state, this Office also has the responsibility for the licensure of lead inspection[unreadable] personnel, professional and public education on rental housing disclosure and[unreadable] determining appropriate methods for identifying and eliminating lead hazards. Blood lead[unreadable] test analysis services are provided by the IDPH's Office of Health Protection laboratory,[unreadable] located in Springfield, Illinois. While use of the Laboratory is not required of delegate[unreadable] agencies, it is highly recommended to delegate agencies ICLPPP. Analysis services of[unreadable] the laboratory are provided free of charge to indigent patients of the delegate agencies.[unreadable] Strategic partnerships have been and continue to be made through the ICLPPP,[unreadable] the Office of Health Protection's Environmental Health Program, delegate agencies, and[unreadable] the Illinois Childhood Lead Elimination State Advisory Council. The Council coordinates[unreadable] the development and implementation of a statewide strategic plan to eliminate childhood[unreadable] lead poisoning pursuant to the Healthy People 2010 Goal of elimination by 2010.[unreadable] Outlined in the enclosed application narrative packet are proposed activities to[unreadable] further continue current elimination efforts; improve surveillance efforts through[unreadable] expansion of electronic processing capacities and management systems; improved data[unreadable] system implementation; increased screening in targeted areas and population cohorts[unreadable] through improved monitoring, evaluation processes and expanded interaction with[unreadable] payment agencies such as Illinois Health Care and Families Services (Medicaid payer);[unreadable] increased education for health care providers, public health professionals, and children[unreadable] impacted by lead poisoning and their families; increased technical assistance to delegate[unreadable] agencies, identification of applicable new prevention strategies, and continued quality[unreadable] improvement of ILCPPP program activities.